Sakamoto eyes figure skating gold in Olympic farewell

Japanese figure skater Kaori Sakamoto launches her quest for a fairytale Olympic swansong on Tuesday as heavy snow in the Italian Alps disrupted the schedule at the Milan-Cortina Games.

The three-time Olympic medallist and triple world champion, who will hang up her skates after the competition this week, has never topped the podium at a Winter Games.

But she goes into the women's singles as the form skater after winning both of her segments in the team event as Japan took silver behind the United States.

The 25-year-old faces a fierce challenge from America's Alysa Liu, the 2025 world champion and Grand Prix Final winner, in a competition that could boil down to a battle between the United States and Japan.

Sakamoto's teammates Mone Chiba and Ami Nakai are also likely to be a threat, along with America's Amber Glenn and Russian athlete Adeliia Petrosian, competing as neutral.

The short programme takes place at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Tuesday, with the free skate to follow on Thursday.

"This is really the last time," said Sakamoto, who won singles bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games and has two silvers in the team event. "So I want to enjoy it fully, but also make sure to do what needs to be done."

Affectionately called "big sister" by her teammates, she is leading a new generation of Japanese stars including Nakai, 17, and Chiba, 20.

"Japanese skating is strong right now," said Sakamoto. "I'm really a little bit scared about the younger skaters. They are so good."

She will be desperate to avoid the disaster that befell hot men's favourite Ilia Malinin, who suffered a nightmare last week, slumping to an eighth-place finish.

OFTEBRO AT THE DOUBLE

Norway's Jens Oftebro won his second nordic combined gold medal of the Olympics when he added the big hill to the normal hill combined title.

The 25-year-old could make it a treble when he and his compatriots defend their crown from the 2022 Beijing Games in the team combined on Thursday.

Oftebro – whose older brother Einar was sixth in Tuesday's event – was 22 seconds off leader Ryota Yamamoto after the ski jump.

However, he was unstoppable in the 10 kilometres cross country ski, beating Austria's Johannes Lamparter, who also took silver in the normal hill, with Ilkka Herola of Finland filling third spot.

At the speedskating track, the Canadian trio of Ivanie Blondin, Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann won team pursuit gold ahead of the Netherlands, with Japan taking bronze.

An Italian team comprising Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti held off world champions the USA for victory in the men's event, China rounding out the podium.

It was Italy's third speedskating gold after Francesca Lollobrigida's double in the women's 3 000 and 5 000m.

At the biathlon in Anterselva, the French quartet of Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin, Quentin Fillon Maillet and Eric Perrot won the men's relay.

It was a 16th Olympic medal for France, surpassing their previous best.

Heavy snow in Livigno on Tuesday morning forced a number of postponements, including the women's snowboard slopestyle final and the men's and women's aerials qualifiers in freestyle skiing.

The men's big air competition is due to take place at at 1830 GMT, with Norway's defending champion Birk Ruud bidding for his second gold of the games.

Away from the slopes, ski star Lindsey Vonn said "being back on home soil feels amazing" after returning to the United States having undergone four operations on the broken leg she suffered in a horrific crash in the women's downhill.

The 41-year-old had been in hospital in Italy since her heavy fall in the women's downhill on February 8.